The doom of King Acrisius Author:William Morris Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The wine shines fair that glads the heart of man; What dost thou wandering 'neath the moonlight wan ?" " This have I done," said he, " as one should swear To... more » make the vine bear bunches twice a-year, For I have sworn the Gorgon's head to bring A worthy gift unto our island King, When neither I nor any man can tell In what far land apart from men they dwell. Some god alone can help me in my need; And yet unless somehow I do the deed An exile I must be from this fair land, Nor with my peers shall I have heart to stand." Grim in the moonlight smiled the aged crone, And said, " If living there thou com'st, alone Of all men yet, what thinkest thou to do ? Then verily thy journey shalt thou rue, For whoso looks upon that face meets death, That in his sick heart freezes up his breath Until he has the semblance of a stone." But Perseus answered straightly to the crone, " O Mother, if the gods but give me grace To come anigh that fair and dreadful face, Well may they give me grace enough also Their enemy and mine to lay alow." Now as he spake, the white moon risen high Burst from a cloud, and shone out gloriously, And down the sands her path of silver shone, And lighted full upon that ancient crone; And there a marvel Perseus saw indeed, Because in face, in figure, and in weed, She wholly changed before his wondering eyes. Now tall and straight her figure did arise, That erst seemed bent with weight of many a year, And on her head a helmet shone out clear For the rent clout that held the grizzled head: With a fair breastplate was she furnished, From whence a hauberk to her knees fell down; And underneath, a perfumed linen gown, O'erwrought with many-coloured Indian silk, Fell to her sandall'd feet, as white as milk. Grey-eyed she was, like amber shone her hair, Aloft she...« less